To continue the Northwestern Alumni Association’s celebration of National Mentoring Month, we invited a mentoring pair from the Northwestern Network Mentorship Platform—mentor Courtney Harris ’13 and mentee Djenaldbeth Louis ’20 MS—to share their tips for creating a thriving, reciprocal relationship. Courtney and Djenaldbeth walk us through their strategies for open communication and setting expectations and boundaries with a mentoring partner.

Courtney Harris ’13 is a graduate of the School of Communication. She has spent the past seven years diving into the media industry with roles held across the advertising agency, publisher, and client landscapes. Most recently she has joined the McDonald’s Media team head quartered in the West Loop of Chicago. She is an active member of the NAA via their mentorship and admission interview programs.

Djenaldbeth Louis ’20 MS began her professional career in the hospitality industry in sales and marketing. After five years, she decided to pivot and get her master’s degree so that she could head towards a more strategic and creative role. Now Djenaldbeth is a recent graduate of the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications where she received her master’s in Integrated Marketing Communications. Upon graduation, she accepted a role as a strategic planner for a multicultural agency in Chicago where she connects brands with consumers in a genuine way using insights, brand storytelling, and data.